New 2024 Volkswagen California: price, specs and release date

The new Volkswagen California campervan has been fully revealed ahead of coming to UK showrooms later in 2024. 

The new Volkswagen California is based on the car-derived Volkswagen Multivan, so it will be better to drive than today’s Volkswagen California, and offer much-improved fuel economy too. 

For the first time, the new Volkswagen California will be available in eco-conscious plug-in hybrid guise as well.

This will make the new Volkswagen California  a multi-talented rival to the best campervans such as the Mercedes-Benz V-Class Marco Polo and Ford Transit Custom Nugget. 

With major enhancements to the living space, the new Volkswagen California is set to become a must-have new VW Camper, and we’re here to take you on a full tour of Volkswagen’s executive new ‘house on wheels’.

New 2024 Volkswagen California price and release date

The new Volkswagen California has been revealed in full ahead of pre-ordering opening in June 2024. The first deliveries will begin in the second half of the year.

The new Volkswagen California Concept is likely to command premium pricing, though. The Volkswagen Multivan it is based on costs from around £45,000, while the existing Volkswagen California, which is based on the Volkswagen Transporter van, costs from £61,000.

We would expect new Volkswagen California Concept prices to start from around £70,000, and the new Volkswagen California eHybrid could nudge £80,000.

The new Volkswagen California will be offered in three core grades, called Beach, Coast and Ocean. Beach, Beach Tour and Beach Camper have a mini-kitchen in the rear, while Coast and Ocean have a full kitchenette on the left-hand side.

2024 Volkswagen California: Exterior and interior design

The new Volkswagen California shares the same sleek profile as the latest Volkswagen Multivan. It is more sophisticated than today’s boxy Volkswagen California, and the smoother lines are more aerodynamic, too.

The new Volkswagen California offers fancy two-tone paint options, aping classic VW Campers, and smart chrome detailing will be set off by crisp LED headlights – which include an LED light bar in the front grille.

Alongside the 11 single-tone paint finishes, the new Volkswagen California is available in Mono Silver and Energetic Orange, Deep Black Pearl and Fontana Red, and Candy White with Solid Blue Metallic. The three-layer pop-up roof can be had in three colours – Toffee Brown, Glacier Bleu and Basalt Grey. This ensures plenty of customisation options for the new Volkswagen California.

There are also seven different alloy wheel choices with the new Volkswagen California, spread between 16-inch, 17-inch, 18-inch and 19-inch options.

The new Volkswagen California has extra-large windows, including a panoramic-stye windscreen with additional inset windows to split up the A-pillars. This will give it an airy feel inside, while the rear glass is tinted to aid privacy.

Inside, the new Volkswagen California has an ingenious, all-new take on the classic VW Camper ‘house on wheels’ concept. A headline improvement is the fact it now has dual sliding rear doors, so UK passengers can get in and out on the ‘safe’ side. Older Volkswagen California only had a rear door on the right-hand side.

The extra sliding door aids practicality too, with the new Volkswagen California now having a kitchen area that can now be used from outside the vehicle too. It is located further back than before, leaving space for an opening to get in and out. The new Volkswagen California Concept is based on the long-wheelbase Volkswagen Multivan, which further aids rear spaciousness.

The front seats of the new Volkswagen California now rotate through 180 degrees. This means they can be swivelled to face the rear. The two rear seats are also now individual chairs, rathe than the heavy, austere bench seat of the current Volkswagen California. They can be removed much more easily. A central pull-out table is ideal for family means or impromptu business meetings. An electronic parking brake, instead of a handbrake lever, aids scrambling from front to rear.

The kitchen area of the new Volkswagen California includes a sink, sliding induction hob and pull-out refrigerator drawer. There’s an integrated gas cooker, and a compact, removable grille. There’s lots of storage too, including cupboards and sliding drawers.

The pop-up roof of the new Volkswagen California is nearly two metres tall. It’s an aluminium roof shell with triple-layered bellows and a large panorama opening at the front. There are large windows at the sides too, and built-in USB-C sockets plus LED hights. The bed has spring plates to aid comfort.

The new Volkswagen California has a clever multifunction tablet in the kitchen area to control its various functions through touchscreen tech. It includes information on fresh and waste water levels, interior lighting, power supply, refrigerator and auxiliary heater. The functions can be replicate on the ‘Cali on Tour’ smartphone app.

The new Volkswagen California's tablet screen is even smarter, too. It can be swivelled out on an articulated arm and used as a streaming and entertainment device.

New 2024 Volkswagen California: engines, specs and safety

The headline engine for the new Volkswagen California is an eHybrid plug-in hybrid. It is the first time the California will be available with a plug-in hybrid, which is expected to offer an EV range of around 30 miles.

The new Volkswagen California's plug-in hybrid system is the same as on the Volkswagen Multivan. This combines a 1.5-litre TSI turbo petrol engine with an electric motor and rechargeable battery. Like all new Volkswagen California, it will have an automatic gearbox as standard – and, for the first time, it comes with 4Motion all-wheel drive.

Impressively, the new Volkswagen California eHybrid will be able to tow trailers up to 2000kg.

The new Volkswagen California will also be offered with a range of regular petrol and diesel engines. It will have a 204PS 2.0-litre TSI petrol engine, and a 150PS 2.0-litre TDI turbodiesel. Full performance and fuel economy details will be revealed later.

Because it is a relatively large and heavy machine, the new Volkswagen California won’t be a high-performance machine. However, the good pulling power of the engines, combines with the automatic gearbox, will help make it feel effortless to drive.

The new Volkswagen California is based on the latest Volkswagen Group MQB architecture. This means it will be easy and agile to drive, with light controls and stable handling.

The new Volkswagen Multivan has an impressive five-star Euro NCAP safety score, and we expect the new Volkswagen California will be similarly impressive in terms of safety. 

Can't wait for the new Volkswagen California? You'll want to check out the Volkswagen Multivan.

If you can’t wait for the new Volkswagen California, why not try the model upon which it’s based, the Volkswagen Multivan? Using the same car-derived architecture means it drives in a smooth, refined way, and the super-practical interior has loads of space.

It doesn’t have a bed or a kitchen, but it does have seven seats – and the extra-roomy interior is multi-configurable so you can still set it up for an impromptu weekend away if you wish. It’s more affordable than a new Volkswagen California too, particularly if you go for a used Volkswagen Multivan.

Looking for more new car news?

We have all the latest 2024 new car news. The new 2024 Renault Symbioz is an important arrival next year and we have all the details here at heycar – along with the facelifted Nissan Qashqai and 2024 Vauxhall Grandland.